Today is the last day of the month, so make sure to print your coupons. Tomorrow, Coupons.com, Red Plum and Coupon Network will add new coupons and reset the old.
All week I will be sharing ways to save money and cut your budget in 2012. Today, I will be sharing how to use homemade cleaners to save money. I started making cleaners at home for about $0.30 or less a bottle compared to $3.00 a bottle from the store. Once I started making my own cleaners I was shocked to find out how easy it is. I even started making my own laundry detergent!
Getting Started
If you are new to green cleaning try mixing up a bottle of multi-purpose cleaner. I use this cleaner on all types of surfaces including the kitchen counter tops, bathroom vanities, glass doors, windows and mirrors. Make sure you don’t use vinegar or vinegar solutions on marble.
Simply mix a 50/50 solution of distilled white vinegar with water in a clean spray bottle. The vinegar does have an odor but it dissipates after a few minutes and leaves no residue or lingering scent. Essential oils can be added to mask the vinegar.
This solution costs about $.30 a bottle to make (not including the bottle purchase). You can purchase a spray bottle for around a dollar or just reuse one you already have.
Replace Paper Towels
Paper towels are very expensive! I now use washcloths that I can reuse and only cost about $0.25 each! I use these to wipe up most kitchen messes, clean the counter tops and wipe down the table. I throw the dirty rags into a small basket in the laundry room and a couple of times a week I empty the basket into the washing machine to clean the rags.
Invest in Microfiber
Microfiber cloths trap dust and dirt so you are not redepositing it around the house. These cloths cost around $2-3 each, but they will last a long time. The packs of pretreated wipes and dusters cost around $3-5 a pack and you can only use them one time. All the microfiber clothes can be tossed in the washer to clean. You can use microfiber materials to clean furniture, floors, and mirrors!
Start Slow
Don’t feel overwhelmed by the idea that you need to replace all your cleaning products at once. Try one thing at a time and soon you will find you are cleaning green and saving money!!
All week I will be sharing ways to save money and cut your budget in 2012. Today, I will be sharing how to stop wasting food. Here are a few tips to help you stop throwing money away!
Have a plan: Have a purpose for everything you buy! I believe that planning out your menu before you shop is the single most effective way to reduce your grocery bill. When you carefully create a weekly menu you can reduce the amount of food you waste because you have a plan for everything you got. You’ll also save yourself time and money at the grocery store when you have a complete shopping list and you buy only what you need.
Store your food properly:Here is a spreadsheet to help you know how to store your items.
Freeze extra produce: Did you find a good sale on bananas and can’t eat them all before they go bad? Instead of throwing them out, try to freeze them. You can freeze them and use them in a fruit smoothie! Check out more ways to freeze produce here.
Use up your leftovers: With a little creatively, many leftovers can be reinvented into other meals. You can also freeze meal-sized portions to take to work or for another meal in future. Many recipes can also be divided in half easily, and sometimes I mix up the entire recipe but freeze half of it before I cook it.
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All week I will be sharing ways to save money and cut your budget in 2012. Today, I will be sharing how to use price matching to save money. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you get started!
Why price match:
To save you time and money! Use all the hot sales at your local grocery and drug stores and price match at places like Walmart and Target. This saves you time because you are not driving all around town to get the deals. Instead, the deals virtually come to you! For example, if one store has Quaker oatmeal on sale and another has Dannon yogurt on sale, I would simply price match both these items at one store instead of going to two.
How does it work:
I always have ads with me just in case they need them; however, the cashiers should have the ads. Most stores will price match any store within a specific radius. This policy varies by store location so check with your manager. Most stores will not price match a percentage off sale or buy one get one free offer. You need to match the exact item by brand and size.
Who price matches:
Wal-Mart: Here is their policy online. You can price match at the regular register.
Office Depot: Excludes free product offers, special orders, services, Internet purchases, liquidation, ad errors, clearance, refurbished and close out items. Here is their Low Price Guarantee.
Staples: Just show the lower price when you buy the item at Staples and they will match the price, or within 14 days of your Staples purchase and they will give you the difference. Check out all the details here.
Sears: They have a Price Match Plus Policy so if you find a lower price on an identical branded item with the same features (in Home Electronics identical brand and model number) currently available for sale at another local competitor retail store, Sears will match that price plus, give you 10% of the difference.
Kohl’s: Bring in the ad and they’ll match the price (according to the FAQ on their website). This applies to in-store prices and products only, not to Kohls.com pricing or products.
Home Depot: If you find a current lower price on an identical, in-stock item from any retailer, they will match the price and beat it by 10%! Check out their policy.
Best Buy: Simply bring in the ad of the local retail competitor while the lower price is in effect and receive your price match. Here is their online policy.
Target: They now have the Low Price Promise. Just bring in the competitor ad to customer service.
All week I will be sharing ways to save money and cut your budget in 2012. Today, I will be sharing how to use store incentives. Here are a few store incentives that you need to be taking advantage of:
Store Coupons:
Store coupons are issued by a specific chain or store and can only be used at that location or chain. If you have a manufacturer coupon and a store coupon you can use both coupons on one item.
You can find store coupons in the weekly ads, newspaper, online, or fundraising books. Most stores will also have coupons that print out at the register!
Double Coupons:
Some stores double coupons up to a set value. For each coupon you use, the store will give you twice the coupon’s value. A $0.25 coupon will yield a discount of $0.50 and a $0.50 coupon will yield a discount of $1.00.
Store Credit:
Store credit can come in many different forms. Gift cards are a form of store credit that never expire and can be used on almost anything. The store credit that comes in the form of a coupon must be used in a few weeks and includes restrictions on what you can buy. The coupon usually doesn’t allow you to receive cash back, but on a gift card the money remains on the card until it’s gone.
Drugstores are famous for their store incentives. You can get tons of items free by learning how to use their store incentives. Click here to learn more about how these incentive plans work.
Rebates:
Rebates are usually redeemed online or through the mail. You typically pay for an item up front and then submit your rebate to get cash back in the form of a check or gift card.
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